New to the Basel area, and saw numerous people yesterday floating down the Rhine river with float bags and small inflatable boats. Wondering if anyone knows a good place to launch from is, any experience getting back on the tram or bus to your original location?
We have a couple of float bags already (keep the stuff dry and sinkers like me afloat) from some nice people we met as they were leaving Basel, and a small blow up boat as well. We have 3 kids, all swimmers, but two are on the young side - 6 and 8.
Hi there. I was there floating down the Rhine yesterday and it was great.
A good place to start from is the little beach by the Tinguely museum, in Solitude park.
I can't give advice about kids doing it but I did see quite a few little ones yesterday with their parents probably 5 years and upwards.
The good thing about the float bags is that you do not need to worry about getting back to your start point, because you can take all your stuff with you. If you go by bike, as I did yesterday, just leave it around the Mittlerebruke area, and walk to Tingueley, then it's not far to walk back to collect it when you finish.
I have heard that blow up toys are not allowed, but cannot confirm whether this is true. I did see a blow up whale in the water (with owners) yesterday.
I am going for a float today at around 7, if you feel like giving it a go?
Unfortunately I can't do it tonight, but thanks very much for the info! Once my family arrives in two weeks, if it is this hot in August, which I hear it will be, we will be looking to do this a few times.
ANyone who would like to join for a swim tomorrow (Monday):
Meet at the upstrem edge of the Mittelbrucke , KleinBasel side, at 1830hrs. Walk up to the Tinguley from there , to get in and then float back down to somewhere below the Mittelbrucke. There is an icecream stand on the walk up, that has "fish" bags for sale ( drybags to hold clothes, towel, lifesavings etc.
If you get out around Mittlere Brücke, then you can get walk up to the bus stop at Rheingasse (by Manor) and get the 31 or 38 to Tinguely Museum, or the 34 to Rosengartenweg. From either it's just a few minutes walk down to the river to start again.
Usually, I cycle to Mittlebrucke, walk (it's a busy path full of other swimmers all doing the same thing) to Tinguely then float down to somewhere around Johanittebrucke. Then walk back to my bike. It would be very cool to have a really big fish to put my bike in.
One of the things I've loved most since moving here is floating down the river in this hot weather.
I got one of the 'official' orange Rhineschwimmerin bags (they look more like courier bags) from the Dorint hotel in Kleinbasel, as I noticed they were selling them when I was staying there when I first moved to Basel.
The fish bags seem to be on sale at a number of places. Manor near Claraplatz has them, as does the tourist info shop at Barfussaplatz.
In fact, all this talk has made me want to go swimming. So I might well go after work today